USA welcomes Queen Victoria World Cruise

[Dunelm]

After ten continuous days at sea involving five days of storms and force 10 winds Queen Victoria finally berthed at dawn today at Fort Lauderdale.

However, due to incompetence at Customs and Immigration, hundreds of passengers (many of them elderly and some infirm) were forced to queue for around two hours before finally being given permission to proceed ashore.

This meant that despite arriving at dawn many passengers were unable to leave the port buildings until the early afternoon !!

Immigration officials offered a variety of excuses including 'slow computers', 'Queen Victoria only comes here once a year so needs extra checking' etc. All this regardless of the fact that all these passengers were in possession of the ESTA document already checked and approved by the authorities.

Apparently this sort of thing happens regularly at Fort Lauderdale and in view of the anger of hundreds of passengers it would be no surprise if Cunard were to omit Fort Lauderdale from its future itineraries.

 

I doubt that it was "incompetence." Most likely, Customs and Immigration have had staff cuts as have most government institutions in the USA. So, the perceived incompetence may have been due to too few people having to deal with so many passengers.

[Dunelm]

I am from Britain originally; however, I want to defend the USA. Last year, I flew from Nice, to London Heathrow, to Manchester. LHR was an absolute nightmare with numerous checkpoints even though we had gone through checking in Nice, were flying with British Airways, and did not have to change terminals. So, these "hiccups" happen everywhere!

[Salacia]

Panama registration is like Delaware incorporation. No one needs to actually work or reside in Delaware, or Panama. I'd see where the corporate offices are and/or where the shareholder meetings are held.

 

Where the corporate offices are and where the shareholder meeting are held have nothing to do with where the corporate taxes are paid - that's solely dependent on where the corporation is registered, according to US law. (I do not know if the same applies under UK law, which is why I limited my comment in post #21 to the very low tax rate Carnival Corp pays in the US.)

Edited February 7, 2014 by Salacia

[Cats2010]

Not too paranoid, what?

 

BTW, Cunard is owned by Carnival Corporation. If you look at the articles of incorporation, you will see that Carnival Corporation is legally incorporated in the Republic of Panama, not the UK and not the USA. Carnival Corporation pays a USA tax rate of about 1%, which is hardly significant - especially since Carnival Corporation benefits from services of approximately 40 USA government agencies.

 

Believe me, I'm not trying to persuade you to continue sailing on Cunard ships, but if you think that by boycotting Cunard you are delivering a blow to the economy of the USA, you are sadly mistaken.

 

Salacia

 

Regarding the first sentence of your post: Where is your sense of humour, Salacia?

 

The rest is not quite correct: Cunard still has shares in Carnival, it is registered under UK law as Cunard plc. Anyway, you may believe me if I tell you that multinationals generally have a rather complicated legal tax structure, depending on which country offers them the most favourable conditions, this being something that often continously changes.

 

Cats2010;)

[Cats2010]

Well, here's a clue. We've stopped doing the Norway trip on QM2 because of the German invasion in Hamburg. :)

 

That's a pity and I regret it for you yourself.

 

In addition, my comment refers to anybody in this world who demonstrates bad manners, be it abroad or at home. Punkt.

 

:rolleyes:

[Cats2010]

America is like anywhere else, you get nice people, you get awkward people, you get nasty people.

 

How true (and trivial at the same time), and it has to be repeated every now and then.

 

:rolleyes:

[Salacia]

Regarding the first sentence of your post: Where is your sense of humour, Salacia?

 

The rest is not quite correct: Cunard still has shares in Carnival, it is registered under UK law as Cunard plc. Anyway, you may believe me if I tell you that multinationals generally have a rather complicated legal tax structure, depending on which country offers them the most favourable conditions, this being something that often continously changes.

 

Cats2010;)

 

Cats2010, yes, I do recognize that corporate tax laws vary from country to country, which is why I was quite specific in limiting my comments to the corporate tax Carnival Corp pays in the USA. I believe that is now the third time I have so stated that, and I can't make it any clearer.

 

I believe you might be confusing the stock markets on which shares are bought and sold as opposed to where the corporation is incorporated.

 

As far as my sense of humor, did you not see humor in my response? Did you see the reasoning, at least? The boycott by German passengers of Cunard (as put forward by cunardaddict) to punish the UK and the US may or may not be funny, depending on how you look at it. To me it is just plain sad and misguided, but consumers should and could vote with their wallet. But no tears, only :)

 

Cheers,

Salacia

Edited February 7, 2014 by Salacia

[Salacia]

Well, here's a clue. We've stopped doing the Norway trip on QM2 because of the German invasion in Hamburg. :)

 

No worries: according to cunardaddict, "Right now Germans have started to reduce their consumation of goods and services from the US significantly. Cunard is going to suffer from this soon when early bookings for the coming years will drop Germans will not be booking future voyages on Cunard ships." - quoted from post #17

Edited February 7, 2014 by Salacia

[Underwatr]

Where the corporate offices are and where the shareholder meeting are held have nothing to do with where the corporate taxes are paid - that's solely dependent on where the corporation is registered, according to US law. (I do not know if the same applies under UK law, which is why I limited my comment in post #21 to the very low tax rate Carnival Corp pays in the US.)

Where the profits land has a larger impact on the economy than where the taxes go, since the impact of a company on the economy appears to have been your point.

[Salacia]

Where the profits land has a larger impact on the economy than where the taxes go, since the impact of a company on the economy appears to have been your point.

 

My point, as you put it, was simply a statement of fact: Carnival Corporation is legally incorporated in the Republic of Panama, not the UK and not the USA: a boycott by Germans of the Cunard Line would not be deal a blow to the US economy as was suggested. I don't think it would bring the UK to it's knees either, but that is only based on my personal opinion.

 

As to "where the profits land", I made no comment. My suggestion would be to read CCL filings with the SEC.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Salacia

[Cats2010]

Cats2010, yes, I do recognize that corporate tax laws vary from country to country, which is why I was quite specific in limiting my comments to the corporate tax Carnival Corp pays in the USA. I believe that is now the third time I have so stated that, and I can't make it any clearer.

 

I believe you might be confusing the stock markets on which shares are bought and sold as opposed to where the corporation is incorporated.

 

As far as my sense of humor, did you not see humor in my response? Did you see the reasoning, at least? The boycott by German passengers of Cunard (as put forward by cunardaddict) to punish the UK and the US may or may not be funny, depending on how you look at it. To me it is just plain sad and misguided, but consumers should and could vote with their wallet. But no tears, only :)

 

 

Well, Salacia, I am not following each and every post all the time, what I am interested in is cruising and not so much tax law - there are more interesting things than that.

 

As I said before, it remains to be seen whether there will be something like a 'boycott '- I am personally more than sceptic. The comment of just one person in a forum should definitely not be overvalued :D :rolleyes:

 

Cheers!

Cats2010 :)

[Salacia]

Well, Salacia, I am not following each and every post all the time, what I am interested in is cruising and not so much tax law - there are more interesting things than that.

 

As I said before, it remains to be seen whether there will be something like a 'boycott '- I am personally more than sceptic. The comment of just one person in a forum should definitely not be overvalued :D :rolleyes:

 

Cheers!

Cats2010 :)

 

Cats, yes, thanks, I agree with you. If we were sitting together at a table on board, I would ask if you might join me for an after dinner drink - and a few laughs :) I know a few really salty jokes told to me by some seasoned passengers from around the world :D

 

Regards,

Salacia

Edited February 7, 2014 by Salacia

[Cats2010]

No worries: according to cunardaddict, "Right now Germans have started to reduce their consumation of goods and services from the US significantly. Cunard is going to suffer from this soon when early bookings for the coming years will drop Germans will not be booking future voyages on Cunard ships." - quoted from post #17

 

Well, brigittetom and Salacia,

 

I suggest to refer to my post no. 31. I hope this terminates this unpleasant exchange of opinons.

 

Cats2010:)

[brigittetom]

"Right now Germans have started to reduce their consumation of goods and services from the US significantly. Cunard is going to suffer from this soon when early bookings for the coming years will drop Germans will not be booking future voyages on Cunard ships."[/i] - quoted from post #17

 

I don't believe that for a moment. The German people love the QM2, shown by the crowds that come out when she sails Hamburg. Their personal feelings about a ship are not going to be influenced by politics.

[Cats2010]

Cats, yes, thanks, I agree with you. If we were sitting together at a table on board, I would ask if you might join me for an after dinner drink - and a few laughs :) I know a few really salty jokes told to me by some seasoned passengers from around the world :D

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

OK, with pleasure, thanks! See you then! :D

 

Regards,

Cats2010 :)

[cunardaddict]

I don't believe that for a moment. The German people love the QM2, shown by the crowds that come out when she sails Hamburg. Their personal feelings about a ship are not going to be influenced by politics.

 

We do indeed welcome anyone nice and definitely QM2. But this does not indicate the tendency of bookings.

 

AIDA cruises is right now the mostly demaded cruise line in Germany and their business is growing steadily. People feel that the ships are German run. But guess who owns AIDA?

 

It is a matter of knowing the roots of a business. Lots of people don't know and we do not intend to emphasize on this. This makes us different from the US who ban a business with others by law just because they don't like the government or the outcome of a democratic election. But this does not belong here and I like to limit my worries here to the question of beiing spyed at on a Cunard ship.

 

I know there is a fashion police aboard on many trips:D

[cunardaddict]

America is like anywhere else, you get nice people, you get awkward people, you get nasty people.

I find , at both airports and sea ports, that when first entering the USA, they check everything very carefully and so progress of the lines is slow.

 

I do remember some immigration officers who were professional, efficient and nice. At Miami Int'l it takes usually 15 minutes to immigrate arriving with Lufthansa from Dusseldorf.

[cunardaddict]

Well, here's a clue. We've stopped doing the Norway trip on QM2 because of the German invasion in Hamburg. :)

 

I can understand that since your media published the high risk of frequent and violent riots in Hamburg.

 

Another aspect in an economical warfare...

[cunardaddict]

I doubt that it was "incompetence." Most likely, Customs and Immigration have had staff cuts as have most government institutions in the USA. So, the perceived incompetence may have been due to too few people having to deal with so many passengers.

 

Probably correct. The civil servants suffer much under the budget issues.

 

But it certainly does not help to calm the waves when US diplomats act in public like Victoria Nuland yesterday - she insulted the EU in an unspeakable way. Or is the budget so tight that only staff with the highest incompetence is kept?

 

I do really think that a strategy of apologization by those who represent the symbols of thoose nations is neccessary towards the valuable customers.

 

I can't see this as i.e. we have not the same access to company information that other users have - Cunard still restricts us from access to all on cunard.com.

 

It's all little stiches, off course. But it adds up.

 

Yet there is no boycott of US and UK - and I hope that this will not come. But when it comes to decide on whether to buy from there or use another supplier recent statistics show a decrease. And this affects Cunard too. Offers with significant price cuts have never been seen as many as there are now. Fares dropped to 115 EUR per night (QE Adria 7nts June incl. flights).

 

So please have your government sending competent diplomats and not Texas cowboys to calm the waves.

[Cats2010]

Once again we are back to politics, which we shouldn't - this forum is not the proper place for it. However, fairness tells me that the much discussed telcon of the US diplomat was, in fact, a private and confidential one, even though one has to admit that especially diplomats should be careful with what they say and how they say it. Anyway, this is now how it is and the Foreign Office excused for what she did or said.

 

I tend to believe that the telcon was watched and transferred to the internet by a Russian spy :eek:, maybe with the intention to bring up the EU against the US so as to provoke problems between them, who knows :rolleyes:

 

Now let's get back to exploring the world by ocean liners and cruise ships.

 

Happy cruising!

 

:)

[brigittetom]

 

Or is the budget so tight that only staff with the highest incompetence is kept?

.

 

It only appears that way.......they are all grossly overpaid. :) Aida will sail out of Tampa the end of the year. I had no idea that they were a subsidiary of Carnival.

[cunardaddict]

Aida will sail out of Tampa the end of the year. I had no idea that they were a subsidiary of Carnival.

 

It is even more surprizing. AIDA is a subsidiary of Costa now - the brand of the sunken ship. Germans avoid Costa because of this accident...

 

The AIDA ship for Tampa will be a real nice one. German made but owned and opetated by Costa it was ment to be a Costa ship but they feared that it would not be accepted as such they decided to name it AIDAmar. Same story as QV?

[brigittetom]

Cunardaddict.........will the Aidamar be sailing with an Italian crew?

[cunardaddict]

Cunardaddict.........will the Aidamar be sailing with an Italian crew?

 

Right now the ships masters are usually Germans and the service crew is the standard eastern/international mix with a slight attempt to speak a little more German than on Cunard ships.

 

We will have to see what will change when the ship will be based at Tampa.

[Salacia]

Cunardaddict.........will the Aidamar be sailing with an Italian crew?

 

Briggitte, that's an interesting question...I hadn't thought about Aidamar until you mentioned it, so I dropped by the Aida forum. I don't know what CCL was thinking when they home ported the ship in Florida :confused: But no doubt they have reason to believe it will be profitable.

 

Anyway, if you have time, you might to check this out: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1934443

 

Auf Wiedersehen,

Salacia